Orthopedic braces embody a broad range of structures, each having the common purpose of supporting and/or stabilizing a skeletal joint when worn on the body of a user. The orthopedic brace may serve either a preventative role or a remedial role. In a preventative role, the brace provides added support and stability to a healthy skeletal joint, thereby reducing the risk of injury when the joint is subjected to undue stress. In a remedial role, the brace supports and stabilizes a skeletal joint which has been weakened by injury or other infirmity, thereby reinforcing the joint and reducing the risk of further injury while the joint is rehabilitated.
Conventional orthopedic braces typically include a frame consisting of a plurality of rigid support members positioned adjacent to the body on either side of the skeletal joint being stabilized. The rigid support members are dynamically interconnected by one or more rotational hinges, which are positioned adjacent to the skeletal joint being stabilized. Thus, a conventional knee brace typically includes a frame having a rigid upper support member positioned adjacent to the upper leg and a rigid lower support member positioned adjacent to the lower leg. A rotational hinge positioned adjacent to the knee dynamically interconnects the rigid upper and lower support members. The knee brace is typically secured to the leg by a plurality of straps.
A precise fit of the knee brace with the leg is often critical to the proper function of the knee brace and to the comfort of the user. However, even if a knee brace achieves a precise fit to the leg at the outset, the size of the leg can change over time due to a number of factors, such as swelling, muscle atrophy, or muscle build-up, which diminishes the precision of the fit. The present invention recognizes the need for orthopedic braces which provide a precise fit with the body of a user and which correspondingly exhibit acceptable functional performance characteristics. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an orthopedic brace which provides a precise fit with the body of the user to which the orthopedic brace is secured. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a precise-fitting orthopedic brace which is adaptable to variations in the dimensions of the body of the user over time. It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a precise-fitting orthopedic brace which exhibits acceptable functional performance characteristics in supporting and/or stabilizing a skeletal joint of the user. These objects and others are accomplished in accordance with the invention described hereafter.